Letter-opener.



P. E MASON.

LETTER OPENER.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 14. 1908.

QQQEQTfiM I Patented July 27, 1909.

npenboz YEW/450m FRANK E. reason, or ISTROUD, OKLAHOMA.

LETTER-OPENER;

naee'aass.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1909..

Application filed. 11115 14, 1908. Serial No. 443,498.

g To all-whom it may concern:

':Be' it known that I, FRANK MAson,

. citi zenaof the United States, residing at 'Stroud, in the county'of Lincoln and State of Oklahoma,,have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Letter-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The. resent invention relates to a novel device orv openingenvelops, trimming paper; or performing like operations, and the objectof the invention is the provision ofa simple and compact device of this character. which-can be readlly mounted upon a desk aiid-which nay be conveniently manipulated to accomlhsh the desired result. For a '11 understanding of the invention .and the merits thereof. and' also to acquire a knowledge of. the "details of construction and the means foreifecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which velop opener embodying the invention. Fig."

' Figure 1 is a perspective view. of an ena bottom plan view-of the same. Fig. 3

is a transverse SectionaI VieW. Fig. 4 is-a; lOIlgltlKllIitll sectional view.

,Correspondin and like parts are referredto in the following description and indicated Y in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.-

Referringto the" designates .the casing which 1s open at the bottom and in the present instance is shown as having a substantially rectangular formation. The front of the casirigisprovided at its ripper ortion with an opening 2 and projecting inwardly from the bottom of this opening s ashelf3, theends of the shelf being received in grooves 49in the ends of the casing. Securedto the back of the casingand projecting .inwardly'within the same are the arms t) the extremities 5 of which are extended laterally 'and are slightly spaced from the rear ends of the shelf 3 to form stops-for limiting the inward move-' 'ment ofan envelop'or piece of paper placed upon the1-"shelf.' Inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top of the opening 2 is a 'guidemember 6 which cotiperates with the shelf 3'to form a flared mouth for receiving an envelop or piece of paper and serves to deflect the enve op or piece of paper downs wardly into engagement with the shelf.. For

the purpose Y of opening an envelop it is designed-that one end thereof be thrust into the opening 2,unti1 its edge engages the and .the stops 5.

drawing, the numeral 1' stops 5 the portion of the envelop projecting beyond the inner edge of the shelf I being then severed by a blade 7 which is mounted to reciprocate between thev shelf The ends of the blade 7 are received within vertical grooves or guide ways 8 in the ends of the casing while an intermediate portion of the blade is secured to aplunger 9 which is slidably mounted in the top of the casing. The upper portion of the plunger is enlarged and operates within a boss l0 projecting.upwardly from the casing, a spring 12 which is housed within the boss being interposed between the top of the casing and the shoulder at the termination of the enlarged upper, end

of the plunger and operating to normally lift the plunger and hold the blade in an elevated position Aknob 11 is applied to the upper extremityof the plunger and by pressing downwardlyupon this knob the spring 12 may be compressed and the blade 7 moved downwardly, the lower edge of the blade being sharpened at 7 so as to cooperate with the inner edge of the shelf 3 to sever that portion of the envelop or paper which projects inwardly beyond the shelf.

In the preferred construction the blade 7 is removably secured to the plunger by fas tening members such as the screws 13 and the guide 6 is detachably applied to the casing, being shown in the present instance as held in position by the screws 14. When this guide is removed access may be readily had to the screws 13' for detaching the blade from the plunger and, when the blade has thus been detached, both the plunger and the blade may be removed from the casing.

It found desirable the cutting edge 7 may be inclined so as to obtain a draw out when a number of envelops are placed in the device at the same time;

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed as new is:

1. In a letter opener, the combination of a hollow casing having an opening in one side thereofya shelf projecting within the interior of the casing from the lower edge of the opening, a guide member removably applied to the casing so as to project inwardlv from the upper edge of the opening,

the said guide member being inclined downwardly so as to coeperate with the shelf to' form a flared mouth for receiving an envelop, a reciprocatlng blade mounted within the interior of the casing and adapted to 00- operate with the inner edge of the Shelf to sever that portion of the envelop projecting inwardly beyond the shelf, a-plunger for the blade, and a fastening member for securing the plunger to the blade, the said fastening member being located within the casing and access being obtainable thereto from the exterior of the casing when the before mentioned guide member is removed.

2. In a letter opener, theconibinat-ion of a hollow casing formed at its opposite ends with guide-Ways and also provided in one of its sides with an opening, a shelf projecting Within the interior of the casing from one edge of the opening, arms projecting Within the interior of the casing from the opposite side thereof to that provided between. the shelf and the arms and seven' that portion of an envelop projecting inwardly from the shelf and coming into eontact with the arms, and means for operating the reciprocating blade.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tx'vo Witnesses! FRANK MASON. a; a

Witnesses: i

B.'E. KIRTLEY, J. R. EAKIn; 

